MGP holding to Dabolim, but wants to intrude in BJP’s Shiroda

GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 23 May 2016 20:19 IST

The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party doesn’t want to lose its seat in the ruling alliance. But when it comes to their own survival, they don’t mind hijacking the seat of the Bharatiya Janata Party, their senior alliance partner.

This became evident when MGP president Dipak Dhawalikar today pressed for Dabolim seat but announced his intention to contest from Shiroda, the BJP’s seat represented by Minister Mahadev Naik.

Dabolim was one of the nine seats the MGP contested in 2012 Assembly election while forming pre-poll alliance with the BJP.

But things have changed with Congress MLA Mauvin Godinho, who defeated the MGP, has announced that he would contest on the BJP ticket.

“We have no objection to Mauvin contesting on the BJP ticket, but he has to move out from Dabolim”, said Dhawalikar, also the minister in the BJP-led government.

Though the BJP has already clarified that no decision has been taken about any seat and any candidate so far, there are rumours that Godinho would be given ticket from Cortalim, dropping Minister Alina Saldanha.

She had contested the by-election after her husband Matanhy had suddenly died after getting elected from Cortalim on BJP ticket.

While Dhawalikar is not prepared to leave party’s Dabolim seat, he is not applying the same criteria when it comes to his own survival.

His Priol seat is presently threatened by making it one of the Scheduled Tribe seat.

“In that case, I will either move to Shiroda or Cumbarjua”, said Dhawalikar.

BJP minister Mahadev Naik is elected twice from Shiroda, defeating his one-time boss and former Congress minister Subhash Shirodkar.

However, the MGP has roped in substantially in this constituency, making Naik’s political life miserable.

When asked for his comments in this regard, BJP state president Vinay Tendulkar literally wound up the press conference today evening rather than replying to the questions posed by the media.